The 2011 version of “Hunter x Hunter” is widely considered one of the best shounen animes ever released, and it lives up to this standard. Before you look away because “Hunter x Hunter” is an anime, hear me out. 

“Hunter x Hunter” is your typical shounen anime. The story focuses on a male hero who leaves home at an early age for a life of adventuring and fighting. So why is it considered so much better than the rest, and why should you watch it?

The reason you should watch “Hunter x Hunter” is because of the characters. If you’ve been on the edge about wanting to watch anime, and you enjoy action movies that are character driven such as “Avengers: Endgame” or “Thor: Ragnarok,” this is the anime for you. I obviously believe the story and every other intricate detail is amazing, considering it is one of my favorite animes, but the characters are what really drive my love for the show.

Togashi, the creator of “Hunter x Hunter” has stated in an interview, posted in an issue of the manga on www.mangahere.com, that he purposely made Gon, the main character, bland compared to everyone else around him to let other characters shine. 

Let’s start with Killua, Gon’s best friend. Killua is a 12 year-old boy who has grown up in a family of the most famous assassins in history. Right off the bat it is clear to see that Killua is a cool and cocky person, who, when asked why he wants to take the Hunter Exam, states, “Because I thought it would be fun.” 

Killua has more experience than the other main characters in the show because he’s been training to be an amazing assassin since he was born. He’s experienced torture training which makes him numb to most pain, including something as severe as electrocution. 

Another amazing character is Hisoka, my personal favorite. Hisoka is a jester who is obsessed with power. Throughout the Hunter Exam arc, Hisoka is shown to be the strongest one there. He is able to kill people by cutting through them with playing cards like they were swords. The ominous aura he gives off is enough to make most people back away from him, or even completely lose their will to fight. 

Hisoka is always on the hunt for strong people. He is able to predict how powerful an opponent is merely by looking at them. Hisoka always wants an all out fight to the death with his opponents, so he always lets them wait until they are prepared. 

The Phantom Troupe is an antagonist group in the world of “Hunter x Hunter.” They are widely considered the best antagonist group in all of anime. The Phantom Troupe consists of 13 members, representing a spider: the head being Chrollo Lucifer, and the 12 legs being the rest of the members. They are one of the most loved groups in all of anime because while they are the antagonists, viewers can still understand them and sympathize with them.

The Phantom Troupe originated in Meteor City with Chrollo and eight other members. Meteor City is a city of trash. Everything in Meteor City is considered lost and forgotten, so people from the city have no identity. The group consists of people who were thrown out and forgotten about, but found new purpose when they formed the Phantom Troupe. 

They are the most feared group in the world of “Hunter x Hunter,” and live up to the expectation. They are some of the strongest people in “Hunter x Hunter,” having the natural ability to do things such as jump as high as three stories, move faster than light, and have the strength to carry and break things of multiple tons, all without breaking a sweat.

“Hunter x Hunter” has an amazing plot, a perfectly designed and balanced power system, and beautiful animations, but the characters stand out the most. Togashi put his entire heart and soul into designing and creating these characters, and it shows throughout the entire series.